Let's dump Google!

1. 84

   TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years ago

   I don't know about anybody else, but I am sick and tired of Google manipulating the system and causing so many problems for individuals and websites.  We have been conditioned to use Google, but there are other sites out there that also can provide good information without the insanity we see from Google.  If all of us started using DuckDuckGo, which does not track our searches, and dumped Google, and then passed the word to everybody we know to do the same, Google might just not be as cocky as they are now, and we could all function normally.  Any takers?

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      Maffew Jamesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Adsense is a huge source of income for Google. Publishers would have to stop using it, and readers would have to block the ads or avoid sites that use Adsense in order to make any impact on the company. Avoiding their search engine isn't really enough.

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         TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Maffew James:
         
         Perhaps not, but it is a start.

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            Maffew Jamesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Consider this. Google makes almost all of its money from advertising revenue. In the 2013 financial year, advertising accounted for more than 90 percent of Google's earnings. Google's expenses amounted to 76 percent of its income for the year. This is how reliant Google is on advertising. Without advertising, Google couldn't sustain itself. The lack of diversification in Google's income is a threat to its own survival.
            
            Now, an interesting thought. Given that Google makes nearly all of its revenue through advertising, it's in their best interest that Adsense is being used, and that the sites using it are receiving the traffic that is necessary to make money for Google. It doesn't seem so farfetched to believe that Google may attribute a higher rank to a site which utilises Adsense, over a site which does not, or a site which utilises a mix of Adsense and other advertising entities that Google considers to be competition. What does Google gain by driving traffic to competitors and funding those who could beat them?
            
            Prove that Google is doing this and you will have a very viable means to attempt to take the search engine down.

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               Nell Roseposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Yep totally agree with you, been saying that for years!

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                  andromidaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  You are forgetting about Google Adwords, which is the primary source of their earning.Adsense is respobsible for nearly 30% of Google's  earning.

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                     Maffew Jamesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     Correct. Adsense equates for just over 30 percent as of the 2013 fiscal year. They're one and the same though. Adsense serves Adwords advertisements on websites that aren't owned by Google. I mention advertising as their primary source of income because over 90 percent of their total income is derived from advertising.
                     
                     I think you've misunderstood what I was saying however. The point I was trying to make is that it's in Google's best interest that their Adsense program is generating as much money as possible, because it does contribute a signficant amount of money to their income. To that end, it is quite possible that on equal footing, a site using Adsense may receive a ranking boost over a site that does not use Adsense. In this way, Google is not only earning money from search results on its own turf, but from subsequent sites where the traffic has been directed afterwards.
                     
                     This would be extremely difficult to prove, and I highly doubt they actually do it, but if Google is in fact boosting sites that use Adsense, there will be absolute outrage if it came to light. First you have webmasters all over the world who will be angry that they feel they are being forced to use Adsense in order to rank against competitors. Then you have regular searchers who will be angry that their search results are influenced so heavily by advertising. Searchers, who are lead to believe that Google is trying to promote quality sites and that their search results reflect this quality, will not be happy to find out Google is in fact preferentially directing them to sites that will increase income, rather than actually basing the results on quality alone.
                     
                     It wouldn't be surprising to see a massive boycott of Google occurring, or at least a massive boycott of Google's advertising network. If webmasters strike out against Google by ditching Adsense, that's still a lot of income lost. If the majority of searchers decide to utilise ad blockers to block the ads on both Google and other sites, that's a huge amount of income lost. Then you have the possibility of Google being sued by competitors in an antitrust case.
                     
                     Google derives its income from advertising. Anything that could cause a significant loss of advertising views will greatly impact the company because its income isn't diversified at all. Uncovering a scandal like preferential Adsense ranking would achieve this kind of impact.

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                        TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                        Read what I posted about the coming class action suit against Google because of Adsense abuses!

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      kenneth averyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Can you be more specific about Google?

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      kenneth averyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I need to know. I wish HP would fix this forum so I could post.

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         Nell Roseposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thought ya had a stutter there! LOL!

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      bethperryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I'd support dumping Google and AdSense. I am not fond of commercial tyrants, especially commercial tyrants that bungle so frequently. But I just have the feeling HP's admin aren't about to break away. Like many other businesses, I suspect the admins are under the impression Google is just too darned big to fail or flaw. So, alas, whatever policies the mighty Google may demand in the future, I think the response will be "Sure thing, my good Lord and Master. And do you want that with a foot kiss and a jelly doughnut to go?"

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         Phyllis Doyleposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. it should be Giggle and NonSense   

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         makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         So what's your proposal for funding the site to replace HQ income from Google AdSense?

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            bethperryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I don't have a proposal laid out for HP', nor is it my place to offer such here at a forum. However, if I were approached by the owners, I have a few suggestions based on business techniques used by a couple of successful business owners I know, and whom prefer not being tied to Google.

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2. 73

   David Stoneposted 9 years ago

   Frustrating though it might be, Google is the best thing that ever happened to the web. Imagine a superhighway with no police and no one concerned at all about the well-being of the users. That's the Internet without Google. No one likes getting a traffic ticket, but I'd rather catch one every once in a while than get rear-ended by a truck operated without rules or consequences.
   
   It's important to remember that Google Search was never set up to help content providers. It's there for searchers. We can either provide what Google believes, based on mountains of data, what searchers want or spend our online lives frustrated. Google is there to hook us up with appropriate searchers, not hustle them over to us. That's why people use Google and copycats, like Yahoo and Bing. They get what they want.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I remember how things were before Google, and it did not seem as bad as you say it would be.  If you think Google does not manipulate sites, you are not paying attention.  There are plenty of sites ranking high that are not nearly as good as those with lower rankings, and what about those ads you see ranking above articles?  Do you not think they pay Google for their positions?
      
      Google is a business, just like any other.  Unfortunately, they have become far too big and have made people too dependent upon them.  I just thank G-d that I do not have to depend on pleasing them to earn a living.  DuckDuckGo was just an example.  It is fairly new and is still developing, but I would rather search on a site that does not invade my privacy than on one who knows everything about me.  It's big brother, folks.  He is here and his name is Google.  Facebook, by the way, is right beside him.

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      Chris Tylerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      While that may be true, it's important to remember that the cop that gives you the speeding ticket isn't the one controlling the speed limit.
      
      While I usually don't have a problem with Google (I figure it's their house, their rules), I take exception to this idea that they love to perpetuate that they're the altruistic gatekeepers of the Internet, protecting users from all of that evil "poor content" out there. Google's updates are intended to further their own goals. Period.
      
      The only reason they care about more accurate search results is that it lets them charge more for ads- and again, that's fine, I get it, but, to steal a phrase from one of my old professors, "don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining".

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         Jayne Lancerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         +1

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         TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Chris:  Well said and clearly true.

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         Suzanne Dayposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Good point.

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      2besureposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Very good points David!  Also many writers and blogger make good living because of Google, despite its imperfections.  It seems to be very hard to get approved with Bing.  Anyone else tried Bing?

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      2besureposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Very good points David!  Also many writers and blogger make good living because of Google, despite its imperfections.  It seems to be very hard to get approved with Bing for publishers.  Anyone else tried Bing?

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3. 70

   Glenda Motsavageposted 9 years ago

   I've never even heard of DuckDuckGo, but willing to check it out!  I, too, am disheartened by Google's monopoly and manipulation!

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4. 88

   Cari Kay 11posted 9 years ago

   Maybe I remember too much of my pre-Google searching days but I am still thankful for Google.  I remember how in awe I was by my 'tailored' search results.  I used to spend so much time looking for information on a topic and, with Google, there it was. I'm not crazy about the results of this latest update right now but I'm hopeful my pages will bounce back.

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5. 39

   ChristinSposted 9 years ago

   I love duck I use it often.  People get so ingrained into the Google mindset it is hard to convince them to give others a try also.  One doesn't have to completely give up google, but there are other fish in the sea. 
   
   I gave up on trying to appease Google long ago and focused more on social media.  I am doing a few things though like disavow though to see if it helps my traffic any.  Most of my traffic comes from other avenues though and that's fine with me.

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      Barbara Kayposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The last time I was hit by a Panda, I did the same thing. I focused on other ways to get traffic. My traffic can be hurt at times by Google, but at least it isn't in full force like before.

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6. 91

   Jayne Lancerposted 9 years ago

   If everyone started using DuckDuckGo, then DuckDuckGo would no doubt become the new Google and we'd be back to square one.
   
   As for Google being a sort of Internet police for which we should be grateful ... yes, I understand. But maybe it would be better if a non-profit organization were doing that job.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Jayne Lancer:  Not every company is so totally self serving and it is not certain that if another search engine became successful that it would behave like Google.  At the very least, Google could stand some healthy competition!

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         Jayne Lancerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Oh yes, I agree with you there. That's exactly what's needed.
         
         I hope somebody someday comes up with an alternative that's as appealing as Google.

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   David Stone1posted 9 years ago

   Google Search is not a monopoly. It's a heavy favorite because it does what searchers want it to do. If Duck Duck Go was as satisfying, they'd have a much larger stake in the game. No one forces anyone to use Google or any other search. It's choice, not a monopoly.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      David Stone:
      
      Yes, people have a choice, but when there is only one game in town, where else can they play?  DuckDuckGo is fairly new, so of course people are not flocking to it.  Nor do they flock to Yahoo or Bing, although both actually do a pretty good job of helping people search.
      
      People will always go with what is easiest, and Google has become so big, so overpowering and so addictive that it in fact is a monopoly of sorts.  And it is ruining lives.

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         makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I've been using DuckDuckGo for years!

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8. 61

   LotusLandryposted 9 years ago

   I did a brief inspection of Duck Duck Go, and apparently, one can't submit his urls to this facility but must wait for Duck Duck Go to discover them.   I was able to submit to Bing.  I used to submit Squidoos to Gigablast.  We also had Lensroll.

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9. 91

   Michael Kismetposted 9 years ago

   Google's doing what it must, I'm more concerned with HP's functionality, if it's not plummeting traffic, it's delay in earnings, if it's not delay in earnings, it's delay in statistics, if it's not delay in statistics, it's their server going haywire.  Ugh, ad nauseam! 

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Michael Kismet:  Did it ever occur to you that some of the things that are happening at HP are the result of what Google is doing?  The team here has been dancing to Google's tune for quite some time just to stay afloat, and that "dance" is what you are talking about.  Things got crazy for awhile a year or so ago, but then calmed down.  Now Google has hit again, not once but twice, within one month, and look what is happening.  It's disgusting.

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10. 83

    psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

    Google is a superior search engines, so I use it. Google scholar is vital for my work and not of the competitors programs even come close on that or letter-exact searching. I just accept that being a good search engine is not the same as being a benefactor to advertising platforms.

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       firstdayposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Remember Google rules the world.  You have to respect that like it or not.

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          TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

          first day:
          
          Google rules the world because we allow it to do so.  We can disallow it if we choose to, but most of us are so addicted to it or so lazy that we stand by and let it invade and manipulate us.  I do not have to respect anything or anybody just because they are the biggest.  I give my respect to people and organizations that have earned it.  Google has not.

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          psycheskinnerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          As an Advertisers, sure.  But as a user--I just use the best search engine for my purposes.  And I have been doing this long enough that that used to be alta vista and askjeeves.

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       psycheskinner:  Nobody expects a search engine to be a benefactor to people who are selling products, but at the very least Google should respect the fact that honest people are trying to produce meaningful content and trying their best to follow best practices guidelines.  They should, because those same people make money for them...lots of it!

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    LisaMarieGabrielposted 9 years ago

    When Google was just a search engine it was amazing. Now it sets itself up as judge, jury and executioner on the web and seems to kill the little guys rather than the real blackhats it claims to despise I can quite understand people wanting an alternative. At one point that alternative would have been social media, but now Facebook has lost its viral impact, Pinterest takes too much time and Twitter scares many people with its sheer speed. I honestly don't know. All I do is write and pray between my musical ventures.

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       LisaMarieGabriel:  You are spot on with this comment.  Search engines are supposed to exist for the purpose of allowing people to find content, not to do hatchet jobs and ruin the lives and livelihoods of those they deem unworthy.  Thank you for this one.

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12. 63

    jeffryvposted 9 years ago

    Duckduckgo's search results come from Yahoo and Bings API 's.
    Yahoo search results are now powered by Bing
    
    Try using Bing for awhile, I am sure you will switch back to Google within a couple weeks.
    I see no reason to fault a company/person for being the best at something, is that not something we all desire?
    
    Try this - Type "Pizza" into Google, then in a separate tab type Pizza into Duckduckgo, which one produced results more relevant to you?
    In Google I get a list of all local pizza places plus a map.
    In Duckduckgo I get Pizza.com, Wikipedia and info about a couple Pizza movies not useful

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       Chris Tylerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       That's not really a fair comparison Jeff.
       
       Google is, first and foremost, and advertising company, and all of their products are to that end; Google collects a ton of Data on its users and then uses that Data to provide more effective ads. Where CBS use "NCIS" and "The Big Bang Theory" to sell you things, Google uses search results. Google takes it a step further though.
       
       DuckDuckGo is just a basic search engine. Yes, it requires a little more work, but the benefit is that the results are "pure". Everything you see in Google is filtered through your search history/patterns so the results are always tainted.
       
       Generally, I don't have a problem with Google or their policies, but for the last couple of years they've been getting a little too "big for their britches" (as my Grandmother would say), and sooner or later, the content providers that they depend on are going to have an "Update" of their own, and that Panda is gonna get smacked.
       
       Google isn't the best thing. Google isn't the only thing. Google is just the thing before the next thing. And for those who think it can't happen, tell that to: AOL, MySpace, AltaVista, Internet Explorer, and the list goes on and on.

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          Solarasposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          Exactly Chris - Google is an advertising company, the search engine facilitates its ability to put ads in front of buyers. They mine data from our private gmail accounts and instant messages, not just search history, which is intrusive and creepy.  All of the talk about limiting Amazon capsules just tells me that Google does not want any competition.  They are displaying Amazon and Sears ads all over my Hubs based on user's personal data, not something that "gives a better user experience."

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       jeffryv:
       
       You are missing my point.  I only used DuckDuckGo as an example, and surely you realize it is a relatively new search engine.  However, there can and should be more of them that can serve as competition for Google.  How many results does a person need?  Will one do? or two? or does it have to be 20?  And does having so many choices always serve people or does it confuse them?  Most only look at the first one or two anyhow unless they have special needs.
       
       My point here is that Google is manipulating the system.  Read the posts here and you will see what I mean.  It is one thing to offer searches, but quite another to list first those that make you more money than those that serve people's needs, especially when many of those high rankers are not as good as lower ones.

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          makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          It is NOT a relatively new search engine! It's been around for five years i.e. launched September 2008. There are other newer search engines which have come and gone in that period.

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    wabondposted 9 years ago

    The important thing is that we have proper competition. When one search engine dominates the internet, it can then abuse its power, to suit itself. Since the Panda updates the traffic to all my blogs, videos and hubpages have greatly decreased.  That is why I personally never use Google and use other search engines.

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    Paul Wardposted 9 years ago

    Some while ago, I had a short exchange with Matt Cutts (yes, him) - this was prompted by a few Tweets on the subject of Google rewarding plagiarists and site scrapers with higher SERPs than the original content.  He reckoned it didn't happen often, I sent him enough examples from painful recent experience to prove otherwise. Then he stopped communicating with me.
    
    I like to think that I'm a very small part of why he's now on extended gardening leave, probably making videos of himself mowing the lawn
    
    The thing that's always made me wonder is not that Google is so good at what it does but that the competition is so bad.

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       Solarasposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       + LOL

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    GramaBarbposted 9 years ago

    http://googlepolicyeurope.blogspot.ca/2 … rt_25.html

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       colorfuloneposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Good article.

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       GrandmaBarb:
       
       Be sure to read the comments that are attached to that article.  Do not just take it at face value.
       
       And while you're at it, take a look at this!
       
       http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/ … XA20140722

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Examples of some of the nice things Google does!
       
       http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the … s-lawsuit/
       
       http://www.androidauthority.com/two-har … it-532306/

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16. 0

    Bruce Kirklandposted 9 years ago

    Google loves you.  Oops.  I'm caught up in my spiritual blog. Never mind.

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    Moses Wafulaposted 9 years ago

    Well. I think you should say it again and again. Google disapproved my adsense account over the weeked for invalid activity. Hubpages disabled each and every of my earning programs. It is possible that as you speak ill of google you hurting hubpages too. So is this the right platform for this. Perhaps we should be dumping Hubpages too.

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    David Stone1posted 9 years ago

    You're confusing paid ads with search results. You're also missing the point that, like ads that fill the first pages in magazines and dot newspapers, these pay the bills, making search free for you and me. Everyone knows the difference. They are clearly marked.
    
    As for their role, studies show that paid ads get only 4% of the clicks. The vast majority of clicks are on exactly what's intended - organic search. Sure, an ad will catch your eye and maybe steer you that way. Same with billboards, etc. I can't imagine why that would bother you unless you've persuaded yourself, as it seems, that all those searchers are so empty-headed they can't resist those tempting ads Google shoots at them. Those are not the facts, however, whatever your beliefs are.

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       Solarasposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       I think those results are skewed; it just tells me that the majority of people are surfing the internet for information and not to go shopping.
       
       If I am looking for information and ads popup, of course I won't click on them, because I am not in the market to buy anything at that moment.  However, if I am needing to purchase something and 8 ads with pictures and prices popup, I am very likely to click the one with the lowest price shown. 
       
       That puts the small retailer with a better price (since they don't spend big money on ad campaigns) at a disadvantage to Hayneedle, Wayfair, Wag etc.. It does the consumer no real good either.

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    LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

    Yep!  DuckDuckGo has been around a long time.
    Dogpile since 1996.
    There are ton of search engines, but somehow,well Google reminds me of Bill Gates with Microsoft.  Monopoly with too much power.

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       GramaBarbposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Dogpile is a search engine that fetches results from Google, Yahoo! and Yandex

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          Solarasposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          I like Dogpile!

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20. 92

    madscientist12posted 9 years ago

    What is the problem with Google? I think that it's pretty awesome but that's just my experience....

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       madscientist12:  Of course you feel that way.  Yes, you are right.  They are a very good search engine.  However, I wonder if you will feel the same way when a Panda or Penguin update descends on your honestly written and original articles and decimates them, as Google has done to so many others.  If you think this cannot happen, think again.  I know numerous individuals and businesses that have been ruined for this very reason.  You could be next.

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    SCArt LMposted 9 years ago

    TimeTraveller2 - of course the other side of the Google coin is that they don't serve us up junk websites in their listings, which is what still makes the more popular than other search engines.
    
    In the summer I was staying in a town I didn't know and my searches on Bing for a good local restaurant showed at number 1 a restaurant that had apparently closed donw a year before - that's why people use Google.
    
    The downside of Google's domination (madscientist2) being that small businesses or individuals without the weight of a "brand" or a huge advertising budget behind them find it very hard to succeed in the search listings. It can feel that Google is forcing you into their paid advertising...

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       SCartLM:
       
       I have had this same thing happen countless time when searching on Google.

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    Rock_njposted 9 years ago

    I never thought about it this way until now, but there are grounds for an anti-trust lawsuit against Google.  They just have too much power to make or break whole other companies by promoting or demoting them in their search results.  Not unlike the power wielded by the oil companies or railroads in centuries past. 
    
    Remember how the government went after Microsoft because their now defunct browser had too much market share?  Well, what about Google's market share?  It's influence as the primary search engine is far more damaging to other businesses than a web browser ever could be.
    
    I like your suggestion of using other search engines.

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       Chris Tylerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Internet Explorer is the hands-down, no question best browser in the world...
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       for downloading Firefox.

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    Rock_njposted 9 years ago

    I never thought about it this way until now, but there are grounds for an anti-trust lawsuit against Google.  They just have too much power to make or break whole other companies by promoting or demoting them in their search results.  Not unlike the power wielded by the oil companies or railroads in centuries past. 
    
    Remember how the government went after Microsoft because their now defunct browser had too much market share?  Well, what about Google's market share?  It's influence as the primary search engine is far more damaging to other businesses than a web browser ever could be.
    
    I like your suggestion of using other search engines.

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       There is a pending class action lawsuit against Google right now because they decided to cheat people out of their Adsense earnings.  What does this tell you?  They have been sued before, but always pay a fine and continue on, just as Facebook has done and is doing.  The Government needs to step in and put a stop to this nonsense.

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24. 57

    bert Andrewsposted 9 years ago

    Safari uses less  cpu threads. It also uses less memory in Backgroud.
    
    Faster loads and secure.

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25. 57

    bert Andrewsposted 9 years ago

    Safari uses less  cpu threads. It also uses less memory in Backgroud.
    
    Faster loads and secure. Ie is a cpu hog and uses to much cache. Performance tests shows 60% cpu spikes when ie loads.

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    Sharlee01posted 9 years ago

    If we dumped Google, there would be no hubpages. How do you imagine hubpages make revenue to pay the bill... Hubpages may be free to uses, but you must know they need revenue to provide this free forum.

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       ILoveLegosTooposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Don't confuse the google search engine with the google adsense ads on hubpages.  You can still have the ads and not use the search engine.  I've been using Bing for about a year and like the results I am getting, plus I get a little bonus after I signed up for the rewards program.  In the end everyone gets to vote by where they do their searches.  Since Bing sends more traffic to my hubs these days, I reward Bing with my searches knowing full well Google still gets their money because of the adsense ads on my hubs.

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       Chris Tylerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       
       
       That might've been true back when HubPages was a start-up and traffic and content were hard to come by, but it's more than large enough now to survive, if not thrive, with one of the alternative revenue sources.
       
       And dropping AdSense wouldn't prevent people from still finding HubPages content in their Google results. Just because we wouldn't be using their ad network doesn't mean that the content wouldn't get indexed.

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       TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Sharlee 01
       
       Have you not been paying attention to what has happened recently to the other major content farms?  Do you not remember Google's statement that they want to get rid of content farms?  HP is a content farm that recently got hit not once, but twice by Google within one month and knocked a whole bunch of writers right into the ground.  Do you think HP is going to be around anyhow for very long?  I really do not think that in the long run, HP can survive unless Google is taken to task.  The handwriting is pretty much on the wall.  Your thinking is shortsighted.

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27. 86

    Marisa Wrightposted 9 years ago

    Even if every writer and webmaster in the world stopped using Google's search engine, Google wouldn't bat an eyelid - because that's a drop in the bucket compared to the millions of ordinary people who use it every day. 
    
    Yes, a boycott of Adsense might have more of an effect - but a lot of Google's Adsense earnings comes from ads on search results not on websites, so I'm not certain how much they'd worry.

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28. 70

    makingamarkposted 9 years ago

    On the other hand, there's currently a campaign called "Focus on the User" which aims to get the European Union to investigate Google's potential antitrust violations - by favouring its own 'review' results over those generated by the Internet with respect to Google Local
    
    See
    * http://focusontheuser.eu/#home
    and
    * the Financial Times article commenting on Yelp and TripAdvisor launch joint campaign against Google
    
    Which means it can be done - you've just got to:
    * formulate a case and use the law and existing government organisations to do it - and/or
    * join/support campaigns which are already doing this
    
    Going it alone simply won't work.

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29. 96

    incomeguruposted 9 years ago

    Drop Google, earn less money.

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    1. 90

       Rock_njposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Not exactly.  People still need to search and they will still find our Hubs in other search engines.  The point is to take away the enormous market power Google has been lessening their market share.  Google will still exist, and will still list our Hubs as search results to some degree, but their power to change traffic dramatically overnight with algorithm updates will be curtailed if less people are using Google.  I think what the person who started this thread was calling for was a Google Boycott.

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       1. 84

          TIMETRAVELER2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

          IncomeGuru:
          
          BINGO!  You got it!  Just as we vote with our dollar, we can vote with our searching.  Google gets its power from US...be we writers or searchers, which in our cases, is both!  No search engine should become so powerful that it disregards its customers.  Of course better articles should rank higher, but not those that pay for that privilege or are sneaky enough to sidestep Google's algorithms.  There are plenty of extremely well written articles online that have been totally ignored when Google has decided to do its little tweaks, and it's time we "tweaked" back.
          
          I agree that they are good at what they do, but there is a difference between serving people's search needs and invading their privacy.  I'm not really crazy about searching for a specific product and later finding ads for it on EVERY page I use or search.  I think they have gone way too far, and what they are doing is ruining people's lives.  This is not servicing, this is destroying.  Big difference.

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30. 79

    LeanManposted 9 years ago

    It is not compulsory to use Google - people use it because it gives them the best results for what they are searching for.
    
    I sometimes see crap results returned for my query, but not very often.
    
    Ask yourself what most people are using the internet for.. Does Google give them what they ask for and in most cases the answer is going to be Yes! The pizza example given above is spot on - Google provides what the majority of searchers want..
    
    I see pages that outrank my pages on HP, I also see pages that outrank my pages on other websites - generally the sites that outrank me are better, longer established, authority sites and the pages are as good at least as mine or better answer the likely intent for the search.
    
    I know I will never rank for amazon searches - why should I?
    There are also a hundred other things that I am pretty sure I will never rank for - nor would I ever expect to...
    
    There is no point complaining;
    
    If Bing had 90% of the searches would a different set of people be complaining or would it still end up being the same people?
    What about another 10 search engines??
    
    
    If people are saying that Google favors sites with adsense where is the evidence? There are plenty of intelligent people checking what makes sites rank - I am sure that if this was a factor people would be shouting about it by now!! Or does Google put the sites and the people that have the evidence into area 51 with the UFOs?
    
    Why would they even need to???? No need to "break the rules" as they already have a near monopoly on search - if they got busted they would lose it...........

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       makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       The point that Yelp and TripAdvisor are making is that they too provide excellent reviews - but that these get ignored by Google in terms of Google Local.
       
       If the EU finds this to be true Google is in big trouble in Europe.
       
       Let's not forget that the EU recently exercised its muscle in relation to privacy laws in Europe and Google has had to comply.
       
       It's one of the few occasions when I feel well disposed towards the EU. I like an organisation which can make Google 'jump' when it says 'jump'!
       
       Other people living in other countries should also ask whether their government is getting a good deal for users re the Internet.
       
       PS I'm not anti-Google per se - I use a lot of its services. However I am  very much anti-monopolies and complete market domination by one organisation. Just think what we'd call it if it was politics.......

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          jeffryvposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          All search engines now provide varying degrees of "Local info"
          
          5 years ago if you typed in "weather" you would have just gotten a list of various websites, now you get YOUR weather with out having to go to another website.
          (Yes, even Duckduckgo does it)
          
          To quote Google
          "And when it comes to our answers versus other websites, Larry Page, our co-founder, has always believed that the perfect search engine would "understand exactly what you mean and give you back exactly what you want."  Initially, ten blue links were the best answer we could give.  But now we have the ability to provide direct answers to users' queries, which is much quicker and easier for them."
          
          Google is all about the USER experience, and as long as they provide the best user experience, they will be number one.
          
          A single Hubpage will never out rank an authoritative 50 page website on the same topic, nor should it.
          
          Where would you go if you were helping your daughter research Wombats, my single hubpage or an respected site that contains 30 pages of Wombat info? Now replace the word "you" in the above question with the word "Google"

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             Baby-Boomer-58posted 9 years agoin reply to this

             "A single Hubpage will never out rank an authoritative 50 page website on the same topic, nor should it."
             
             I suspect it might, if the hubpage clearly and succinctly presented an accurate overview of the same facts. Or presented a fresh perspective.
             
             
             "Where would you go if you were helping your daughter research Wombats, my single hubpage or an respected site that contains 30 pages of Wombat info?"
             
             Since you asked, I'd be unlikely to consult a Canadian relying on public domain photos. That raises an interesting question, jeffryv. Why would you write about an Australian native animal, instead of one you find in your local environment?  (Just wondering.)

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                jeffryvposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                I do, but on web sites I own.
                
                Oddly, I have seen way more Wombats in my life then Grizzly bears. LOL

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             makingamarkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

             Agreed - but I want to find out about reviews of restaurants I always go to Trip Adviser (not Google) because they have good quality checks on the people who post reviews.  I then only read the reviews of those who have done lots and seem to know what they're talking about (i.e. are authoritative as authors)
             
             To my mind Hubs should be targeted at the things you can't find on Google or the things that other sites do very badly and, now and again, a different take on a topic which has been covered by others (with the emphasis on the word 'different')

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                jeffryvposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                Totally agree with your last bit MaM

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31. 85

    CassandraCaeposted 9 years ago

    Oh alla Vista how I miss you

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